Page 21 of Raising Love
Leo and I were really doing it. We’d done it. Signed the guardianship papers Mr. Grant had forwarded to the courts, signed the new deed on Kendra and Tyrell’s property in Greene Gardens, and uprooted our lives to move out to the middle of nowhere.
A sharp cry echoed from upstairs. Leo and I both turned toward the sound before refocusing on each other.
“I got him,” Marta, the baby nurse, said, taking quick steps from the back of the house toward the stairs. “This is very good. Very, very good,” she added. “He got up the same time yesterday.”
I turned to Leo. “He got up the same time yesterday… whatever that means.”
He scoffed a laugh, turning away to press his hands to the top of his head.
So much had happened since we agreed to take on the responsibility of being guardians to Kendra and Tyrell’s son.
The very next day, I was on the internet, trying to find all I could about taking care of babies—writing down a list of books I decided I would listen to in audio instead of read to save time. There were so many, though. Too many to choose from. By the time I got to the fifth recommendation, I felt like I was having a panic attack.
Thankfully, I had the sense to call Kendra’s mother and ask her what she recommended I read. She chuckled at the thought, telling me she needed the laugh.
“Ivy, baby, there isn’t a book in the world that’s going to prepare you for this.”
It wasn’t what I wanted to hear, and it didn’t help my anxiety one bit. She must’ve sensed that because she told me if I ran into any trouble, she and her husband, Kendra’s father Walt, would be there to guide Leo and me. She also suggested hiring a baby nurse, explaining that a coworker had done that for her second child to get some relief at night.
My next few phone calls were to agencies, searching for a qualified baby nurse. I found one who met the standards I’d set—with Leo’s fairly limited but fair input.
Marta Ramirez was the first person to stay in Kendra and Tyrell’s house. She accompanied us to the hospital to pick up the baby and bring him to the Greene Gardens property.
The first time I laid eyes on him, I couldn’t stop staring. He looked so much like Kendra—his eyes, his lips. I wasn’t even sure Tyrell had been in the room the night he was made. I was also too scared to touch him. He was so tiny and fragile-looking. Since we brought him home two days ago, I hadn’t touched him once—just watched him as he slept.
Leo sighed, turning to face me again. “How long is Marta staying with us again?”
“One month,” I answered. “She said starting tomorrow, we’ll have sessions with her to learn the basics—like how to pick him up, hold him, and soothe him when he’s upset.”
Leo inhaled deeply, letting it out through pursed lips. “I got a game in like three days,” he revealed. “An away game, so…”
I nodded. “I remember.”
Leo gestured at me. “How about you? When are you heading back to work?”
“In two weeks,” I said, pointing toward the stairs. “Around the time Marta says we’ll be able to handle at least the daily responsibilities while she takes care of nights until her month with us is up. Then we’ll need to hire a nanny… but.” I held up a hand. “One step at a time, right?”
Leo bobbed his head up and down. “Yeah.”
My eyes drifted from Leo to scan the surrounding space. Kendra and Tyrell’s home, which was now Leo’s and mine, was stunning. It was clear they’d intended for it to be their forever family home. The ground floor boasted a large living room that flowed into a dining area and a state-of-the-art kitchen, equipped with everything you could imagine. There was also an office and floor-to-ceiling windows that opened to the biggest backyard I’d ever seen in New York State.
Our bedrooms were upstairs. Leo had insisted I take the master bedroom with the en suite, and I’d accepted quickly before he could change his mind. From the kitchen to the attic, the home had a sleek, contemporary design with an insanely spacious layout.
Kendra had invited me more times than I could count to check out their build in Greene Gardens, but I was stuck on staying in the city. She kept raving about the land they'd bought through the village's custom home lot program, which lets buyers design their own places instead of buying one of those prefab models. Despite all her enthusiasm, I just wasn't buying into the idea of moving there. Everyone was talking about moving out of New York City, but I hadn’t wanted to hear it. I would’ve missed out if I’d never agreed to come here when she invited me. Even still under construction, the village was beautiful, with clear potential.
“Okay,” Marta said as she descended the stairs. “He’s back asleep.”
“He sleeps a lot, huh?” Leo asked. “That’s great.”
Marta giggled. “They sleep a lot the first couple of weeks. They’re getting acclimated to being out of the womb.”
“So…” I turned to face her. “That’s not, like… a forever thing?”
Marta laughed, covering her mouth as she glanced toward the stairs. “No, mami. It is not forever.”
I looked to Leo.
“You two settle in,” Marta said. “Rest up. Tomorrow, we’ll start the first session in the morning.”
